Drag saw



pril 16, 1935. E. J. wlN'lDLE 1,997,619

DRAG sAwY I Filed Aug. 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 16, 1935. HWINDLE 1,997,619

A' DRAG sAw Filed-Aug. so, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 2 www3,

Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAG SAW Edward J. Winalo, Portland,V orog.

Application August 30, 1933, Serial No. 687,388

` 7 claims. (c1.`143'68) My invention relates to drag saws of the type comprising a reciprocated crosshead, operated by a driving sprocket chain; the' saw being attached to the cross head. l One of the' main objects of my invention is to provide a`drag saw of the type mentioned in which all side strains-on the sprocket or drive chain are avoided; in other words, cause the-pull on the drive .chain to beequal on both sides, thereby preventing distortion, and minimizing wear of the chain; also eliminating the binding ofthe cross head on the guide members of the frame on which it reciprocates. 4-

A further object of my invention is to provide the frame of my drag saw with means by which the drag saw as a whole may be supported from the log ori-which it is to operate.

A further object ofmy invention is to provide a compact light Weight drag saw of simple and durable construction; and further, in which the 'driving' devices areinclosed, so as to protect these working parts from dirt and weather.

--' A particular feature of my invention is the sprockets and chain'of the saw operating devices have a direct lineal' motion; and lI avoid the use of `an angular crank,which causes an angular'pl'ill and strain of cross head on the guide rods. By said arrangement I `have reduced the length of my drag saw, made it lightentherefore' more portable; and said arrangement further enables the use of a smaller motor.

The devices by which I attain the above mentioned objects, and incidentalfeatures, are hereinafter fullydescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

-In these'drawings: y

Fig. 1 shows a top, or plan view of my drag saw supported on the log to be sawed;

Fig. 1a shows a.' section on the line Ia-'-la of Fig. 1; y

f Fig. 2 shows a front side elevation of my drag saw with 'respect'to Fig. 1;v

Fig. 3 shows a larger scale, transverse, vertical section taken axially to the drive shaft looking at the left end of my drag saw as shown by Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary rear side elevation of,V the saw arm of my drag saw, the driven I chain, [and the cross head, to which the saw is 5o attached;

r Fig. 5 shows a horizontal section on the line -5-,5 of Fig. 4; i y

` Fig. 6 showsa front elevation of the saw arm;

Fig. 7 shows a horizontal section taken centrally thru the saw arm withfreference to Fig. 6;

Fig. Fig..4; f

Fig. 9 shows a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 shows a section `on line `Ill-I0 of Fig. 3:, and f l Y Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show details of construction hereinafter described. v

My drag saw consists of main supporting frame Il, comprising spaced angle bars. This frame isprovided with legs 43 at one end as shown by Figs. land 2, so that, if desired, one end of my drag sawmay rest on `the ground, or other convenient support. Or, the main frame may be fastened to, and suspended from the log by pins 31 secured in place by rivets 38, and dogs-42, 42a, as illustrated by Fig. 2. The dogs 42 and 42a are pivoted to lugs36 by pins 46 and maderof unequal length so that dog 42 may be used to suspend the dragl saw from the 10g, and the dogs 42a used to hold the drag saw to the log against the thrust of the saw blade l.

One end ofthe frame l'l has a plate I'Ia on whichis vmounted a tubular housing 30. This housing is formed with an annular, hollow head 39a: at oneend, which head is provided with internal peripheral gear teeth 34. In said housing `8 shows a section on the line 8-8 of `3ll is'journaled a hollow shaft 3l, provided at one end with a crank arm 3Ia, carrying the planetary gear 33. In said hollow shaft is journaled the drive shaft 20, see Fig. 3. A drive gear 32, keyed on thedrive shaft 20, meshes with the planetary gear` V33, which meshes with said internal gearvteeth 34 of the hollow head 30x, thus revolving said crank arm 31a', and therewith the hollow shaft s l. The houowshaft has at its 35 other end aneccentric 29. vA cover plate 39 is fastened to thehousing 30 by screws 40. The housing `30 isprovided with a-lubricating hole 50.

On said eccentric 29 is mounted an eccentric strap 2s provided with 1ugs 21 to whioh is fastened 40 one Yend of the saw arm assembly. This comprises 'a guide frame 2-l consisting of guide rods il,V 3a, connected at their inner ends to said strap 28, and connected at their outer. ends to the lugs I'5a of cross bar I5, and a sprocket support- 45 ing `member 2Iahaving an offset extension 2lb.

The inner end of said sprocket supporting member 2 la'is supported on the hollow shaft 3|.

The outer end lof said extension 2lbV of the sprocket supporting member 2 l a .is pivotally supo ported by pin 23 on said cross bar I5, thus permitting the guide rods 3 andY 3a to oscillate'in relation to the sprocket I2 carrying one end of the sprocket chain '4. To the eccentric strap 28 aresecured plates 56 by screw bolts 51, such plates formed to constitute a box on the eccentric strap 28 in which bears the fiange 30a of the housing 3l), thereby holding the eccentric strap in place, see Figs. 3, '7 and 10.

The eccentric strap 28 rotating on housing flange 30a, serves as a. pivot and causes the saw arm assembly and therewith the saw to be oscillated vertically at one end, but prevents any lateral motion of saw arm.

A cross head 2 is reciprocably mounted on said guide rods 3, 3a of the guide frame 2I by sleeves 8, an integral part of the cross head. Saw I is fastened to the cross head 2 by bolt I4 and pin I1.

The cross head 2 is reciprocated by a sprocket chain 4 running on the drive and idler sprockets I2, I3. The sprocket supporting member 2Ia of the saw arm is formed with a bearing at one end in which said hollow shaft/'3| rotates.

The drive sprocket I2 is fast on the drive shaft 20, which projects beyond the hollow shaft 3I and the idler sprocket I3 is carriedby the sprocket supporting member 2Ia; see Figs. 6 and '7. Said sprocket carries the sprocket chain 4.

The idler sprocket I3 is mounted on sprocket spindle 22, on which spindle is a loose collar ory bushing 44. The sprocket supporting member 2Ia is provided with a -slot 2Ic in which the said sprocket spindle is slidable, and an adjustment screw 45 provides the means for adjusting said sprocket spindle to tighten the sprocket chain.

The eccentric strap 28 does not describe a circle but iselongated laterally, as at 28a on both sides. Hence the eccentric 29 in revolving does not move the saw guide frame 2I longitudinally, but merely imparts perpendicular motion relatively to its longitudinal axis; thus rocks the saw, and clears the kerf cut by it, of sawdust. The outer end of the saw arm is guided by the quadrant I6 fastened on the saw frame by plate I8. Said quadrant slides in the slot 40a of the cross bar I5, thus allows the outer end of the saw I to descend as it cuts thru the log.

Saw guide I9 is fastened to the cross bar I5 bybolts 4I, to restrain lateral vibration of the saw.

The sprocket chain 4 has an inverted U-shaped link 4a which is cast on both sides with trunnions 9 and 9a. The link 4a is provided With holes 4b to receive pins 4c, 4d, (see Fig. 12) pivotally connecting it to the adjacent links of the sprocket chain. On the trunnion 9 is rotatably mounted a roller 5, and on the trunnion 9a is pivotally mounted a block 6.

The block 6 and roller 5 are held in place by washers 5a, 6a, respectively; the washers being secured in place by screws 5b and 5b threaded into said trunnions, as more clearly shown by Fig. 13.

The cross `head 2 has atransverse guide slot 1 in which said guide block 6 bears. The cross head is provided with an upper and lower drive lug III, II, arranged to be engaged by said roller 5 and guide block 6 in the travel of the sprocket chain, thus to reciprocate the cross head, said lugs I3 and II being spaced to pass over drive shaft 20 and sprocket spindle 22. The guide block 6 by moving in said guide slot 1 of the cross head 2 guides the inverted U-shaped link 4a of the sprocket chain over the sprockets I2 and I3 and prevents binding.

-The guide block i, bearing in the guide slot 1 of the cross head, and the roller 5 being engaged by either of the lugs I0 or II of the cross head, cause the pullupon the sprocket chain to be equal on both sides, thereby preventing its distortion and wear, also preventing the cross head 2 from binding on the guide rods 3, 3a of the guide frame.

When my drag saw is not suspended from the log to be cut, but instead supported on the legs 43 of the main frame, the opposite end of the saw frame is secured to the log by the adjustable pins 55 carried by the arms 5I.

The arms 5I are adjustably aiixed to brackets 52 mounted on the saw frame; the opposed faces of said brackets and arms being vprovided. with radial grooves to permit their relative adjustment about the connecting bolts 53, thus permitting the adjustment of the arms 5I at any desired angle. The pins 55 are loosely tted in holes of the holding arm 5I, so that after the saw is in position the pins 55 may be driven into the log,

as shown by Fig. 2. Transverse pins 54 serve to facilitate the removal of the pins 55 from the 10g.

Power for operating the saw arm is supplied by a motor as'indicated by 23a in Figs. 1 and -2, mounted on the main frame I1. The mot is connected with drive shaft 20 by chain 24 running on sprockets 25 and 43. Y

T'he drawings and foregoing description merely illustrate one operative embodiment of my invention. ,f

I claim: Y

1. In a drag saw a driven shaft, a drive sprooket mounted on said shaft, a saw arm assembly comprising a guide frame and asprocket supporting member, the inner end ofsuch member supported by a bearing on said driven'shaft, the outer end of said member pivotally supported byl said guide frame, said member supporting an idler sprocket, means supporting the inner end of-said guide frame for oscillation, in a'vertioal plane, a sprocket chain running onsaid'sprockets, a cross head reciprocable on said guide frame, said= cross head adapted to have a saw blade fastened thereon, said sprocket chain provided with a link,a block pivoted to one side of a `link of said sprocket chain, and a roller carried by the other side of said link, said cross head provided with a slot in which said block bears, and provided with upper and lower drive lugs, adapted to be engaged by said roller of the sprocket chain, said lugs spaced to pass over said sprocket supporting member. Y

2. In a drag saw a driven shaft, a drive `sprocket mounted on said shaft, a saw arm assembly comprising a guide frame and a Vsprocket supporting member, the inner end of such member supported by a bearing on-said shaft, the outer end of said member pivotally supportedby said` guide frame, said member supporting an idler-sprocket, means supporting the inner end-of said guide frame for oscillationin a. vertical plane, a sprocket chain running on said sprockets, a cross head reciprocable onsaid guide'fr'ane, said cross head adapted to have a saw. blade fastened thereon, said sprocket chain provided with an inverted U- shaped link, a block pivoted to one side of a link of said sprocket chain, and a rollercarried by the other side of said link, said cross head'provided with a slot in which said block bears, and provided with upper and lowerdrive lugs,- adapted to beengaged by said rollerv of the sprocket chain, said lugs spaced. to pass oversaid sprocket supporting member.

`3. In a drag saw, a supporting frameya housing mounted on said frame, said housing lprovided with an annular hollow head having internal gear teeth, a hollow shaft journaled in said housing,fafdrive shaft iournaled infsaid-hollow shaft,

the hollow shaft provided with a crank arm revolving within said hollow head, planetary gearing carried by said crank arm, meshing with said internal gear teeth, an eccentric carried by said hollow shaft, an eccentric strap mounted on said eccentric, a saw arm assembly supported at one end by said eccentric strap, said saw arm assembly including a guide frame and a sprocket supporting member, one end of such member supported for pivoting about the axis of rotation of said drive sprocket, the other end of said member pivotally supported by said guide frame, said eccentric strap adapted to transmit oscillatory motion in a vertical plane to the inner end of said guide frame, means included in the eccentric ele ment for restraining said guide frame against longitudinal and lateral movement, an idler sprocket carried by said sprocket supporting member and a sprocket chain passing around said idler sprocket and said drive sprocket, a cross head reciprocable on said guide frame, said cross head adapted to have a saw blade fastened thereon, an operating connection between both sides of the sprocket chain and the cross head adapted to effect an even pull on both sides of the sprocket chain. l ll l,

4. Ina drag saw, a supporting frame, a housing mounted on said frame, said housing provided with an annular hollow head having internal gear teeth, a hollow shaft journaled in said housing, a `drive shaft journaled in said hollow shaft, the hollow shaft provided with a crank arm revolving within said hollow head, planetary gearing f carried by said crank arm, meshing with said internal gear teeth, an eccentric carried by said hollow shaft, an eccentric strap mounted on said eccentric, and a saw arm assembly supported at one end by said eccentric strap.

5. 'Ihe combination described by claim 4 with said saw arm assembly including a guide frame and a sprocket supporting member, one end of such member supported for pivoting about the axis of rotation of said drive sprocket, the other end of said member pivotally supported by said guide frame.

6. The combination described by claim 4 with said saw arm assembly including a guide frame and a sprocket supporting member, one end of such member supported for pivoting about the axis of rotation of said drive sprocket, the other end of said member pivotally supported by said guide frame, and said eccentric strap adapted to transmit oscillatory motion in a vertical plane to the inner end of said guide frame.

7. The combination described by claim 4 with vsaid saw arm assembly including a guide frame 

